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In today’s modern times, when man has lost touch with his innate wisdom, mental peace and equilibrium, this book is a gift to mankind from the very personification of compassion itself, Her Holiness Anandmurti Gurumaa. Apart from elucidating some of the common afflictions of modern times – stress, heart disease and hypertension, their background, prevention and remedies, this book specifically elaborates on the various yoga asanas, pranayamas, shatkarmas and the immeasurable benefits of yoga nidra. In a nutshell, this book is a boon for all those who are in search of all encompassing health, wellbeing and conscious living.

What will I learn from it?

The practices named are yoga asanas, pranayamas, shatkarmas and yoga nidra.

What does the description promise?

It describes the book as “a boon for all those who are in search of all encompassing health, wellbeing and conscious living” and speaks of the “immeasurable benefits” of yoga nidra. These are the description’s own words, and the book is not a replacement for medical care.

Who wrote it?

Anandmurti Gurumaa is named as the author in the title.

What kind of book is Health & Healing Through Yoga?

The description presents the book as the work of Anandmurti Gurumaa, whom it calls the very personification of compassion. It says the book addresses common afflictions of modern times, including stress, heart disease and hypertension, covering their background, prevention and remedies.

This is a summary of the book description, not medical advice.

What can yoga contribute to health, and what can it not?

Yoga is widely used as a complementary approach, which means alongside, not in place of, medical care. The NCCIH guidance on yoga says research suggests it may help people manage symptoms of some chronic conditions and improve quality of life, and it tells readers not to use yoga to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem.

Words such as “healing” can mean different things: comfort, relaxation, a sense of well-being or a physical change. Studies tend to measure specific outcomes, such as pain scores, stress ratings or balance, and results vary by style and by condition. A good book on yoga and health will not promise to replace any treatment.

Tell your doctor about any yoga practice, especially if you are managing an illness or taking medicine, and ask which postures or breathing practices to avoid.

Related on this blog: Yoga for Stress: How It Works and Why So Many People Try It and Yoga and Type 2 Diabetes: What the Research Shows and How to Practice Safely

Book: Health & Healing Through Yoga by Anandmurti Gurumaa
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These lectures [Delivered at the 32nd Anniversary of the Theosophical Society held at Benares, on Dec. 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th, 1907.] are intended to give an outline of Yoga, in order to prepare the student to take up, for practical purposes, the Yoga sutras of Patanjali, the chief treatise on Yoga. I have on hand, with my friend Bhagavan Das as collaborateur, a translation of these Sutras, with Vyasa’s commentary, and a further commentary and elucidation written in the light of Theosophy. [These have never been finished or printed.] To prepare the student for the mastering of that more difficult task, these lectures were designed; hence the many references to Patanjali. They may, however, also serve to give to the ordinary lay reader some idea of the Science of sciences, and perhaps to allure a few towards its study.

Who is the intended reader?

The Amazon description says the lectures may also give the ordinary lay reader some idea of the “Science of sciences”.

What is the lecture series meant to prepare you for?

It says the lectures give an outline of yoga to prepare the student for the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which it calls the chief treatise on yoga. That is why they refer to Patanjali often.

What is this book about?

According to the description, the book collects lectures delivered at the 32nd Anniversary of the Theosophical Society, held at Benares on 27 to 30 December 1907.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page.

What was the Theosophical Society, and why does context matter?

The lectures in this volume date from 1907 and were given at a Theosophical Society meeting. According to the description, they were delivered at the Society’s anniversary meeting in Benares and meant to prepare students for the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, so they reflect that setting. They are historical documents, valuable for seeing how yoga was explained to a Western-influenced audience more than a century ago.

The NCCIH page on yoga describes yoga as an ancient practice rooted in Indian philosophy that began as a spiritual practice. A modern reader can use that as a baseline: early twentieth-century lectures sit between the original traditions and today’s fitness classes, and each layer adds its own interpretation.

Treat any exercise or breathing instruction in an old text with care, and learn physical practices from a qualified teacher. Anyone with health conditions should speak with a doctor first.

Related on this blog: Where Did Yoga Come From? Its Meaning, Early Texts and What Scholars Can Say and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: The Eight Limbs of Yoga Explained

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Joanne Baker is a Qualified Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Teacher and wiith many years experience in this field has found it to be the number one key technology for weight loss and maintaining consistant weight management.

The kundalini breathwork, kriyas and meditations contained in this book are designed to effect the glandular system and the mind which increase the effectivesness of metabolism, mood and any addictive behaviour towards food. When the glandular system, mind and emotions are all working in harmony, and the person is following a healthy organic diet; it is impossible not to lose weight and keep it off!

Carefully laid out in in her book
“Weight Loss – I’ll Show You How” ; Joanne gives practical dietary advice and shares the secrets of her “Top Ten List of Weight Gainers” and “Top Ten Secrets of Weight Loss”.

What is Weight Loss – I’ll Show You How about?

According to the description, Joanne Baker is a qualified Kundalini yoga and meditation teacher who believes kundalini yoga is a key technology for weight loss and weight management. The book is called “Weight Loss – I’ll Show You How”.

What does the description claim about results?

The description claims the practices act on the glandular system and the mind, and says that with a healthy organic diet it is “impossible not to lose weight”. These are the description’s promises and are not confirmed here.

What will I learn from it?

The book contains kundalini breathwork, kriyas and meditations, plus practical dietary advice. The description also mentions a “Top Ten List of Weight Gainers” and “Top Ten Secrets of Weight Loss”.

This is a summary of the book description, not medical advice.

What should I know about weight management before reading?

A weight-management plan is more than a single technique. The NIDDK choosing a weight-loss program guide encourages you to put questions to any program before you sign up, and to raise the subject of your weight with your own clinician. Meditation and gentle movement can be useful supports because they affect sleep, stress and habits, which in turn influence eating.

The NIH yoga summary from NCCIH reports that weight loss is one outcome researchers have looked at in yoga for people carrying extra weight, and warns that the many yoga styles make results hard to compare. A promised “number one” method is advertising, not evidence.

Weight change that is fast, extreme or unexplained deserves a doctor’s attention. If you take medicines or have diabetes, thyroid or heart disease, discuss new diet or exercise changes with your health care team first.

Related on this blog: Losing Weight the Healthy Way: Eight Habits That Work and What Is Yoga?

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The YOGA of POOL – Secrets to becoming a Champion in Billiards and in Life, by Paul Rodney Turner, the inventor of the Billiard Aim Trainer, takes you on a journey to championship level billiards and self discovery as he reveals essential ingredients to winning pool and becoming and a better person in the process.

What is The Yoga of Pool about?

The full title is The Yoga of Pool: Secrets to Becoming a Champion in Billiards and in Life. The description says it takes you on a journey to championship-level billiards and self-discovery.

What topics does it cover?

According to the description, the author reveals essential ingredients for winning at pool and for becoming a better person in the process.

Who is the author?

Paul Rodney Turner, who the description says invented the Billiard Aim Trainer is named as the author in the title.

Everything above comes from the book description on its Amazon page.

How do attention and relaxation techniques relate to sport?

Sports that depend on concentration, such as billiards, golf or archery, have long used breathing and routines to manage tension. The NCCIH relaxation techniques page describes relaxation techniques as practices that bring about the “relaxation response”, which is the opposite of the stress response. Slow breathing before a shot is a simple, free example.

Research on whether such practices improve performance is mixed, so treat a promise of championship results with caution. What the evidence does support is that mindfulness means keeping attention on the present moment without judging it, a skill that helps in any activity requiring focus.

Practice sessions should be paced to avoid overuse injuries to the back, shoulders and wrists, particularly in sports with repeated postures. Stand up, stretch and move between games, and see a doctor about pain that persists. The WHO activity fact sheet also advises limiting sedentary time. A few minutes of stretching at your desk is a fair start.

Related reading on this blog: Sports Fitness: Four Habits That Keep You Playing and Preventing Sports Injuries: Twelve Habits Every Athlete Should Build

Book: The YOGA of POOL by Paul Turner
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From the creator of the bestselling “Office Yoga” comes the ultimate guide for harried travelers and commuters, with 50 tips and techniques for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Ease the aches, ease the pains, and ease on down the road. From the creator of the best-selling Office Yoga comes the ultimate guide for harried travelers and commuters. Taking the age-old practice of yoga and adapting it for our modern lives, author Darrin Zeer has compiled more than 50 techniques to help travelers relieve muscle tension, master the art of waiting, create hotel room harmony, blow off steam, and arrive revived. The removable guide in back is especially useful for frequent fliers, outlining stretches perfectly suited for small spaces. Packed with playful illustrations by Frank Montagna, Travel Yoga offers a host of techniques guaranteed to soften any landing.

Darrin Zeer spent seven years in Asia studying the Eastern arts of healing. An advocate for a more balanced workplace, he has appeared in Time, on NPR, and in hundreds of other media outlets. He lives in California.
Frank Montagna is a Los Angeles–based illustrator whose work has appeared in New York Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Cosmo Girl, Modern Bride, and several other publications and books

Book: Travel Yoga by Frank Montagna
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